Maracaibo

Maracaibo is the second-largest city in Venezuela (after the capital city, Caracas) and the capital of the state of Zulia. Its name means "Place where serpents abound" in the local language, and the area was originally settled by Ambrosius Ehinger's German settlers from 8 September 1529. In 1535, the Spanish conquered the area and renamed it to Maracaibo, and a second attempt to settle the area in 1569 was cancelled in 1573 due to fierce attacks from native tribes in the area. The current city was founded in 1574, and it was favored by prevailing winds and a protected harbor. The city was plundered by Dutch corsairs during the Dutch Revolt in 1614, by the English pirate William Jackson in 1642, by the French buccaneer Francois l'Olonnais in 1667, by the English admiral Henry Morgan in March 1669, and by the French admiral Michel de Grammont in June 1678. In 1810, at the start of the Venezuelan War of Independence, Maracaibo remained loyal to the Spanish crown, and it was not until 1823 that Maracaibo was conquered by the Patriots. During the 1950s, the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge was built over Lake Maracaibo, ending 390 years of Maracaibo's isolation from the rest of the country. Maracaibo became a large metropolitan city, and its University of Zulia was known for its national excellence. In 2013, Maracaibo had a population of 2,658,355 people, while its metro area had a population of 3,897,655 people.